Michigan tips off its preseason on Sunday (2:00 p.m., B1G+) with the first of three exhibition games. The Wolverines will host Eastern Michigan, which will be playing its first game under new head coach Billy Donlon. The Eagles haven’t won a game at the MAC Tournament since 2018 and will be hoping to jumpstart a new era.
For Michigan, it’s Mike Boynton Jr.’s first game as head coach. Boynton spoke on Thursday about the importance of this team creating its own legacy, and that process begins this weekend.
Here’s what to watch for (and how to watch) in the first preseason game of the year.
How to watch
Sunday’s exhibition against Eastern Michigan will stream on B1G+, the first of four Michigan games on the platform between now and mid-November, followed by Oregon State (Oct. 16), Houston (Oct. 25), and William & Mary (Nov. 15). The best value to catch all of them is the annual pass, which is 50% off through January 1 with promo code B1GPLUS50. If you’d rather not commit to a full year, B1G+ also has a Winter Pass ($44.99), a Season Pass ($34.99), and a Monthly Pass ($12.99), or you can buy the Oregon State and Houston games as one-off pay-per-views. Signing up through our links supports UM Hoops at no extra cost to you.
A familiar coach should mean defense first
Former Michigan assistant coach Billy Donlon took over Eastern Michigan’s program this summer.
Donlon coached Michigan’s defense in 2016-17, helping the Wolverines win the Big Ten Tournament and advance to the Sweet Sixteen. He left after one season for an assistant coaching gig at Northwestern, was hired as Kansas City’s head coach, and most recently was reunited with his old boss, Brad Brownell, as an assistant at Clemson.
Like Brownell, Donlon built his reputation on defense. Clemson had top-40 defenses in each of the last three years with Donlon on staff. Everything we know about Donlon suggests he’ll try to build a defense-first program in Ypsilanti.
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